Nutcracker



Oct. 13,1931. D. 0. DE LOA.CH

NU'ICRACKER Filed Dec 14, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l gwuemtox p. U, PaLaaa/E l I am Patented Oct. 13, 1931 PATENT OFFICE ,nAm'EL or' I s DE oAoH; or SAVANNAH, GEORGIA u'ToRAoxEn Ap lication-mednecembe 14, 1929. Serial No. 414,188.

This invention relates to nut cracking devices and pertains particularly toa device adapted to be secured to a table or other suitable support so that it may be firmly held in position during the actuation of the operating lever thereof.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a nutcracker employing a plunger and operating lever therefor in which the 111 lever may be adjusted with respect to the plunger which it controls so as to adapt the machine to nuts of difierent sizes, making it possible to crack any size nut easily and without damaging the meat thereof.

' Another object of the invention is to provide-a nutcracker employing a fixed jaw and a plunger carrying a movable jaw between which jaws in a plane beneath the same is disposed an adjustable trough in which the nuts may be caught after the shell has been cracked and the nut released by the plunger, this trough being so formed as to carry the nut off to one side of the machine into a receiver.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from' the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claim.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of the nutcracker embodying the present invention. Figure 2 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section of the machine.

. Figure 3 is a sectional View taken substantially upon the line 33 of Figure 2.

' Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially upon the line 44 of Figure 2.

- Figure 5 is a sectional view taken upon the erally the body of the present machine, this body being preferably cast in one piece. The body 1 consists of an elongated fiat base portion 2 at one end of which an integral depending bar 3 is formed which terminates in an inwardly extending arm 4 disposed be neath and parallel with the base 2 as shown, this arm4 constituting the clamp arm of the machine.

' A threaded passage 5 is formed through so the clamp arm 4; to receive a clamp screw 6 the upper end of which has swivelly mounted thereon a head 7 the upper face of which is covered bya suitable body 8 such as rubber or fiber which will prevent marring of" a table surface when the screw is forced thereagainst. The lower end of the screw carries the wings 9 which facilitate its being turned lnto position.

V .The base 2 has cast integral therewith at 7 the end opposite the depending portion 3 the upstanding fixed jaw 10, the inner face of which is provided with a circular recess 11 in which a portion of a nut positions when placed in the machine to have the shell there- 7;, of cracked.

At the opposite end of the base the spaced upstanding plates 12 are formed through the center of each of which a screw hole 13 is drilled,one thereof being provided with screw 0 threads. Adjacent the forward edges of the plates 12 there is secured therebetween and in vertically spaced relation to the portion 14 of the base which portion has its upper surface in a higher plane than the portion of the base lying between the plates and the fixed jaw 10, is a block 15 leaving a space 16 between theplates 12 through which a plunger 17- may move, this plunger resting upon the bottom portion 14 and snugly fito0 ting between the plates as shown.

The upper face of the plunger 17 is toothed forming the rack 18 and at the forward end the plunger carries a head 19 constituting a shiftablejaw, the forward face of the head 19 being recessed slightly as at 20 to receive and more firmly engage the shell of a nut.

A relatively long plunger actuating lever 21is provided at one end of which is carried a pinion 22 which positions between the plates 10L :12and receives through the central opening 23 the pivot pin 24 which extends through v the-*apertures13 and threadably engages at one end in thethreadedone of these aperturesl At its other end the pin 24 carries the wings 25 by which its rotation is facilitated when its removal is desired. 7 v

'which position against the inner" face of the The inner edge of one of the plates 12 and the opposing portion'ot the innerface of the fixed jaw '10 carries a-xlugn26. At the o'ppO- site side of the fixed jaw'lO"and'uponthe' otheriof the plates 12' in the edge opposing} the fixed jaw there is formed a pair or more otscrew'holes27. Y @v Adapted toposition' between the plates 12 and the 'fixed'j aw 10 is a trough 28 which has a-bottom' 29 and anupstan'ding 'flange '30 along onelongitudinal edge,eachend edge block, a nut supporting trough disposed bethe adjacent bodies, abutment lugs for said back flange carried uponithe'opposing faces ofthe fixed jawand plate, and vertically adjustable supporting members passing through vsaid end flanges, one thereof being mounted inthefixed j aw and the other beingmounted in a plate. I In testimonywhereof I hereunto afiix my signature;

o'frthe bottom having adjacent the forward edge thereof the upstanding side platesfil j awilO and the inner edge'of the :plate12in which the'screw hole is formed, each of; these platesfgl-having an aperture 32 therethrough i for the passage of a holding screw 33 by means 'ofwhich the trough is maintained in position; rThe'jup-turned rear portion or flange 30101? the trough positions againstthelugs '26-and is held therebyagainst oscillatioiion-the screws 33.

i From the foregoing description it will be readily apparent that by removing the pivot 'pin2t thepinion 22 may be disengaged from a v I o v theplunger 17 so as to permit the plunger In this manner the machinecanbe adjusted rto 'be shifted to 'a desired adjusted position after which the pinion may be replaced and the 'operation-ofthe machine carried out;

to"receive:nuts of different sizes, so thatthe V adjusted also to accommodate the particular 3 size'nut upon which the-machine is being a used. h

Havi g'thus described invention," what 1 I claim is e r r nut cracking machine eomprlslngabase, means for securing thebase in working pos1 c tion, a fixedjaw carried by the base, spaced is upstanding plates disposed on the base in correct amount ofpressure may be applied 1 c to the shells to effect the breaking thereof DANI L o Is nu LOACH.

v spaced relation to the'fixed-jaw, a'plunger 1 formed to provide a rack shiftably'moun'ted between said plates and having a head con stituting a shiftable jaw adapted tomove rel-;

ativeto thefixed jaw, abl'ock disposed be Q l tween theplat'es above the plunger maintain- ;ingth'e latter in position, a-gearpinlonpivotally m ounted'between'the'plates'for engagement with the rack, a lever carried by the V pinion having its movement limited to said f: V 

